“Subject to that meeting,” Meehan said cryptically, “we’d be in a position of being more defined than we are now.”

Stubbs noted: “Subban wishes to be paid what he believes he’s worth to his team, on and off the ice, preferably but not necessarily linked to a long-term deal, and the Canadiens are seemingly inflexible with their plan to offer short term, a bridge or gap contract toward something more lucrative down the road, almost a policy that has been applied in the recent past with Carey Price and Max Pacioretty.”

Subban said this week:

“We’re not trying to rob the bank here (in contract talks). We’re not reinventing anything. We’re not holding a gun to the Canadiens’ head saying, ‘Pay us this or we’re walking away.’ We just want to be compensated for what I’m worth.”

“You know I have confidence in myself. I do,” he said. “But I’m realistic. I’ve approached this situation totally as a professional. I would have tried everything in my power to make sure it wouldn’t have got to this point.

“But there are just some things that I can’t control. I’ve left this in Donnie’s hands to kind of get through it. I hope that playing against the Leafs (in Game 82 last April 7) wasn’t the last time I wore a Habs jersey. I hope I can wear it for many more years.”

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post: Avalanche’s Ryan O’Reilly and his KHL team have “mutually” agreed to terminate his contract. His KHL team is saying it’s because of a foot injury, and there are transfer deadline protocols that could have come into play.